Without a partner, S.A. sits out again

Updated 12:32 am, Tuesday, February 12, 2013

If Tim Duncan's knees are willing, he will play in his 14th All-Star Game on Sunday. That's a remarkable achievement.

Nearly as remarkable is that he has never played in this event in San Antonio. Duncan was celebrated as an All-Star twice in Los Angeles, and this would also be his second time in Houston. He played one even in a non-NBA city, Las Vegas.

But San Antonio, with the weather and the convention resources, has never hosted an All-Star Game over the span of his long career.

Why?

The Spurs don't see enough in it for them.

“It's a shame,” a longtime NBA staffer said Monday. He's been here for Final Fours and NBA Finals, and he repeated what so many have said about San Antonio before.

The timing could be better. The same rodeo that sends the Spurs to the road this time of year takes the AT&T Center out of the equation.

Still, that's not much of an excuse. San Antonio hosted the 1996 All-Star Game with the rodeo going on, using the Alamodome.

Then, before a Final Four or an NBA Finals had come to San Antonio, it was a big deal. The game was broadcast in more than 150 countries, and Michael Jordan was the MVP.

If some exposure was also helpful to the Spurs franchise then, that's something that has changed since. With four titles, this brand now has adequate global recognition.

But the Spurs needed something else at the time. They needed to build some energy within the community for a new arena.

Adding his voice to the debate, as he does in every NBA city, was David Stern. He said he was “an eternal optimist” that San Antonio would find a way, and he offered this as an inducement:

If the city or county would help invest in a new arena, Stern said, the Alamodome would remain a candidate to host another All-Star Game.

“We love for teams to succeed where they are because we ask fans to make commitments to the teams,” he said then. “And as a result, we try to return that commitment whenever possible.”

It's a pattern. NBA communities that have partnered in new arenas have been given the All-Star Game, even if the event itself was moved to another venue. Mark Cuban never wanted to be a host, for example, because season-ticket holders are often squeezed out of NBA-sized buildings. But he sought the game when he found he could move the event to Cowboys Stadium.

The Alamodome option was there for the Spurs all along; Stern said that long ago. And at times over the past few years, there have been informal discussions within the organization about applying to become a host.

But the Spurs never moved beyond casual talk — because they had little incentive to.

They have their arena. Besides, maximum effort produces minimal revenue for the host franchise. While the league takes over operations during the weekend, the staff of the local NBA team still puts in long hours. It's a headache.

What has been lost, however, is what this event can do for a city. Exposure for a tourist city is always a plus, as is the usual hotel and restaurant windfall. It's a reason the Alamodome was built.

But this goes beyond consumerism. The NBA-inspired “Day of Service” sends 1,500 volunteers into the host community to try to make an impact with their time and money.

This qualifies as charity: According to the league, over 760 places for kids and families “to live, learn or play” have been built since 2005.

That will happen Friday in Houston for the second time in seven years. It will happen next year in New Orleans for the second time in six years.

Meanwhile, the same South Texas area that provided public funds for a new arena is 0-for-Duncan's career.